j% Excursion to Burnley Quarries. [voi'^xxxv. 



EXCURSION TO BURNLEY QUARRIES. 



Of the large number who visited these quarries on Saturday, 

 nth May, only three proved to be pond-lifers. After the 

 departure of the geological section, these three set to work 

 under somewhat disadvantageous conditions, by reason of the 

 rain. Material was collected from several of the pools for 

 home examination, and proved to be fairly good. As some 

 description of the quarries was given after the last Club 

 excursion to the locality (see Vict. Nat. for April, 1917, vol. 

 xxxiii., page 176), it need not be repeated here. Concerning 

 the flora and fauna of the pools taken on this occasion, we may 

 say that some forms noted were of considerable interest. 

 Special mention may be made of some fine colonies of Zoo- 

 thamnium, in which the muscle band running down the centre 

 of the pedicle did not reach the point of attachment thereof, 

 so that when the group retracted part of the pedicle folded up 

 and part remained rigid. One very remarkable diatom taken — 

 viz., Bacillaria paradoxa — is an object of perennial interest. Of 

 this organism it may be remarked that it seems to do equally 

 well in salt, brackish, and fresh water. The rare alga Monostroma, 

 sometimes to be obtained in these pools, was not found this 

 time. The following is a list of the forms noted : — Algae. — 

 Zygnema, sp., Spirogyra, two sp., Lyngbya (? sp.), Entero- 

 morpha intestinalis , Synedra, sp., Eunotia (? sp.), Bacillaria 

 paradoxa, Pleurosigma, sp. Protozoa. — Sarcodina : Difflugia, 

 sp. Mastigophora : Euglena viridis, Anisonema grande ; 

 Infusoria : Vorticella, sp., Zoothamnium (?) dichotomam, Stentor 

 Roeselii, Paramceceum aurelia, Stylonichia mytilus, Vaginicola, 

 sp., Pyxicola (?) afflnis, Thuricola (?) operculata, Chilodon 

 cucullulus. Worms. — Rotifera : Rotifer vulgaris, Floscularia 

 ornata, Brachionus bakeri, B. (?) urceolaris, Pterodina (?) patina, 

 Philodina (?) citrina, Gastrotricha : Chcetonotus (?) larus. 

 Arthropoda : Xiphocaris, sp. (?), Chydorus, sp., and a few 

 insect larvae. Included in above are some kindly identified by 

 Mr. J. Wilcox. — J. Stickland. 



Tall Trees. — In connection with Mr. A. D. Hardy's most 

 interesting paper in the July Naturalist (vol. xxxv., p. 46), I 

 would like to call the attention of readers of the Naturalist 

 to a valuable paper by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman on " The Age and 

 Growth of the Kauri," in vol. xlvi. of the Trans. New Zealand 

 Inst. Besides giving information on the height of trees, in- 

 cluding Australian, Mr. Cheeseman deals in a masterly manner 

 with the determination of the rate of growth of the Kauri Pine, 

 and describes very clearly the necessary precautions to be taken 

 in making observations of this kind. — Thos. Steel, Sydney. 



